Big Guy on Content

I’m going to take a detour from my normal stuff to talk a little about content. This website is dedicated to connecting big guys with other big guys who share similar experiences. There’s also an entrepreneurial bent that you’ve probably noticed that marries well into the mission.

We’re big guys, and we have something to say. Ideally, we might make a few pennies sharing our thoughts. Content as a product is a strange and fascinating concept that dates back to the first cave paintings of our distant predecessors.

We express ourselves for the benefit of the tribe.

So, how do you put a price on content? What is its inherent value? What value does the consumer derive from partaking in your creation? Unlike a loaf of bread or a sweater, you don’t obtain a physical object, instead you obtain an idea. What good is that?

Well, ideas are information, and information is the fuel of our current economy. Seems reductive, doesn’t it? Well, yeah. So, let’s expand. Needless to say humans have evolved beyond settling for the basic requirements of Maslov’s famous triangle. Lots of capital is being invested every day into the emotional, intellectual and abstract. We weigh our personal preferences and requirements on dynamic scales. People have near-religious attachments to ideas, from their political affiliations to favorite sports teams and smartphone operating system.

What extra value do you derive from your everyday consumption? I love my Mustang, and it is more than just a conveyance to transport my body long distances. It triggers some neuron in my brain that gives me pleasure and brings me happiness.

Which gets me back to the main subject: content.

In this context, I’m referring to web content as content, though content can include every song, book, blog post, photograph, haiku and speech. So what differentiates content? What makes a story on successful website have the value that their advertising revenues reflect? Is value only derived by that revenue?

I don’t think so. I don’t think success can precede quality, authenticity or relatability. I don’t actually think you need all three to succeed, but you definitely need one. Look at your favorite website, why do you visit it? Are the articles professionally written? Are the opinions genuine? Can you relate?

Quality is where I focus, though I try my best to be as authentic as possible, in hopes that you can relate. Relatability can’t be forced, and any conscious attempts to be authentic automatically negate your effort. We all have people in our lives who lie to themselves, there’s no need to go online to find more.

So I wring by brain out like a wet dishrag and let the thoughts pour onto the screen. My opinions are my own, but maybe, they’re similar to yours? We don’t, and won’t, agree on everything, but that just triggers a different type of engagement.

Maybe it inspires you to explore an area of the unknown.

Perhaps it makes you think about something in a new way, or bolsters your existing understanding.

Possibly it’s just a little entertaining.

It doesn’t matter.

In some small way your brain has consumed an idea. That consumption has value, and that is the value of content.

I hope you’ll continue joining us on this journey on Big Guy on Stuff. If you see the value in what we’re doing here, there’s a lot of ways you can support this endeavor. Clicking the ads or participating in our vendor programs is of course the obvious way, but perhaps your can provide an idea in exchange: tell your friends, leave comment, or share a story. If you see the value in our content, maybe you’ll derive some value from it, too!

One Comment

Nicely said, sir. Revenue is nice and is sometimes the only thing that let’s you know that thing you created is useful, but being truly helpful, engaging an audience, and building a community are the main goals! I will add that the thought process behind what content to release is actually hard, for me anyway, so it would definitely be helpful to have some feedback on what the people want.